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May 6, 2015

April was a busy – and exciting! – month for California.

Just two days after our Transportation Choices Summit, Governor Jerry Brown set North America’s most ambitious climate goal to date. Read our statement on how his Executive Order is a giant step forward in creating a healthier, more walkable, connected California for all of us.

There is so much positive momentum moving California towards a better future, but our strong climate legislation will sunset in just a few years. We need your help to keep it all going!

Last week, over one hundred people came to Sacramento for our 4th annual Transportation Choices Summit. Fairfax residents and Sustainable Fairfax members Lisel Blash, Jennifer Hammond, and Renee Goddard even took five different modes of transit to get there! It was an inspiring day spent connecting with one another and learning about issues of equity, sustainable growth, legislation to support affordable homes, funding for transportation, and protecting our climate.

Start your pedaling – May is Bike Month! If you’re like us, you need no extra incentive to celebrate the carbon-free, active lifestyle made possible by your trusty bicycle. Luckily there are lots of cycle-centric events happening throughout the state to take part in. Find an event near you, or grab some bike-loving friends and create your own!

Faster, more frequent transit service. Affordable homes near public transportation. Increased protection of our forests and open spaces. And this is just the beginning! As investments from California’s cap-and-trade program hit the ground this year, TransForm is launching an exciting new campaign: Climate Benefits for California. Starting in June, you will be able to use our online map to easily show how projects funded by cap-and-trade are reducing our state’s climate emissions, benefiting your community, and improving peoples’ lives across the state.

We're still celebrating the amazing support we received yesterday as part of Silicon Valley Gives! In just 24 hours, you helped raise $12,060 for better transportation, affordable homes, and a cleaner environment for all people in Silicon Valley and California. Thank you, times two! If you didn't get a chance to make a contribution yesterday, you can still be a part of this exciting day of giving.

It’s been almost two years since our regional agencies passed Plan Bay Area. Since then, a lot has changed, and it’s time to upgrade our region’s blueprint to better transportation, housing, and sustainability. This month kicks off a series of public meetings for you to share your input on what the Bay Area should be considering for 2040.

May’s budget process is a great chance for the BART Board of Directors to get back BART back on track. BART Directors have said that they will prioritize funding for maintenance and repairs first, and we know that they can’t afford not to. But no matter how good their budget is, there’s just not enough money to fix all of BART’s problems. Read Joel Ramos’ Op-Ed in the SF Chronicle, and take action to help make BART safe, frequent, reliable, and affordable.

Mountain View City Councilmembers Rosenberg, Kasperzak, and Showalter stood up for real transportation choices on April 21 when they voted in favor of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with transit-only lanes and bike lanes on El Camino Real. If you’ve been following the journey to bring BRT to Silicon Valley, you know that Mountain View’s 3-2 vote is HUGE!

The Council’s vote sends a message to other cities that we must take steps now to make the Silicon Valley a healthier, safer, and more accessible place to live for all. However, anti-BRT forces aren't happy with this outcome, and the trio of supportive councilmembers has received significant pressure from project opponents. Show your support for Mountain View’s forward-thinking vote!

What will make housing more affordable, dramatically increase transit use, carsharing, walking and bicycling and come online as early as spring 2016? GreenTRIP Connect! Thanks to a visionary group of founding sponsors - including lead sponsor Enterprise Community Partners - we met our fundraising challenge from the Knight Foundation, and will immediately begin developing this powerful analytical tool that will put the power of GreenTRIP into everyone’s hands.

TransForm’s Carbon Crushers have been training hard for Climate Ride 2015, logging over 750 miles in the saddle and climbing a total of 38,000 feet ! With all this training under their belt, the Carbon Crushers are ready to set off on the 300+ mile ride along the Northern California Coast on May 17. Good luck to our team - and thanks to so many of you for your support! There is still time to support the Carbon Crushers so the whole team can pedal off together.